BOSTON — A year ago, the Orioles were the best defensive team in baseball.
On Sunday night, defense did them in.
Three errors, the last charged to left fielder David Lough on his throw to the plate on a medium-range line drive by pinch-hitter Mike Carp, allowed the Red Sox to complete the comeback and post a 6-5 walkoff victory.
The Red Sox tied the score in the seventh inning on a misplay by third baseman Jonathan Schoop, whose throw wide of the plate allowed Grady Sizemore to score on a fielder’s choice by Mike Napoli.
“I should have caught the throw,” said Schoop, who moved to third base after shortstop J.J. Hardy left the game with a strained hamstring. “When the line drive went, I went to the base. As soon as he hit it, everybody was thinking it was a hit, and then I ran to the base, because I thought maybe we could catch him (off the bag) and get a double play there. And when he made the catch, I saw Pedroia make the tag. I wasn’t able to react to the cutoff.”
Earlier in the seventh, second baseman Ryan Flaherty was charged with an error when he was unable to transfer the ball from his glove to his hand on a fielder’s choice.
“That’s the way the rule is,” Flaherty said. “I didn’t turn the double play like I should have.”
The transfer rule is being debated around baseball, and according to a FoxSports.com report last week, might be changed within the next few weeks.
Even Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia felt sympathy for Flaherty.
“I’m a middle infielder. I know it’s tough when you’ve got a guy sliding at you and you can’t see him, trying to get rid of the ball quick,” Pedroia said. “It’s 30 degrees. Sometimes you lose it. I’m not a big fan of that rule, but I don’t make the rules.”
